Combined splice-bar and car-replacer



(No Model.)

H. H. LITTELL.

COMBINED SPLIGB BAR AND GAR REPLAGER.

No. 817,886. Patented May 5, 1885.

UWM

Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARDIN H. LITTELL, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

COMBINED SPLlCE-BAR AND CAR-REPLACER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,386, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed March 6, 1885. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HAEDIN H. LITTELL, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Splice- Bars and Oar-Replacers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specication.

My invention relates to a combined joint plate or bar and carreplacer, especially designed for use on streetrailway rails; and it has for its objects, rst, Ato unite and combine the ends of the rails in such a manner as to afford an easy and smooth passage over the rail-joints, thereby avoiding all jar and concussion and preventing the ends of the rails from becoming laminated and depressed by the wheels of the car striking against them as they pass from one rail to another; and, second, to afford a ready and convenient means for replacing the car upon the track when it has been derailed through any cause.

It consists, essentially, of a metal bar secured upon the outside iiange of the abutting ends of city street-railway rails having somewhat of an ogee iiange, the top of the bar being beveled to conform to the bevel of the tread of the wheel, while its ends are cut away and beveled to enable thewheels of the car to pass readily over the same when the car has been derailed and it is desired to restore it to the track. Thelower side of the bar is also curved, to conform to vthe curvature of the raililange upon which it is seated, in such a manner that the pressure of the car wheel upon its upper inclined side will serve to lock the joint plate or bar more firmly into its operative position, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my combined joint plate or bar and car-replacer, showing the same secured in operative position upon the abutting ends of two city street-railway rails having somewhat of an ogee flange; and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken l Referring to the several parts by letter, A A

represent the abutting ends of two city streetrailway rails having somewhat of an ogee flange, the rails being secured upon the stringer B by means of spikes or bolts O C passing through the elongated holes b b and down into the wooden stringer.

D represents the combined joint plate vor bar and car replacer, the inner bearing side of which is curved to fit the contour of the side of the rail, and rests upon its upper surface, as shown more clearly in the sectional View, Fig. 2, of the drawings, while'its lower bearing side is of such a contour as to adapt it to iit snugly upon the outside flange of the abutting ends of the rails A A, the vertical height of the bar being such that its upper inclined face lies in the same inclined plane with the upper face of the tramway of the rails, as shown in Fig. 2, when the bar is secured in operative position by means of screws,spikes, or bolts E, passing down through the two or more elongated holes d d in the joint plate or bar and into the ilange of the rail itself. The object of this latter arrangement is to admit of the expansion and contraction of the rails, the rails in their movement carrying the bolts or screws E with them.-

If desired, the rails may be provided with suitable longitudinal slots, through which the bolts E pass down into or through the wooden Stringer below, the holes din the bar D being in that case made merely of a size suiicient for the passage of the bolts. In that case the bar and bolts will of course remain stationary during the expansion and contraction of the rails. tersunk for the reception of the head of the bolts E.

The bar resting on top of the rail-ange, and its upper inclined face being in the same plane with the head of the rail, enables it to bear the burden of the weight of the wheel and car for a distance beyond the joint sufficient to prevent the end of the receiving-rail Vfrom being driven down so as to eut into the sleeper or Stringer supporting it. The ends of the rails being thus always kept level or in the same plane all jar and concussion are prevented, the wheels of the car passing smoothly over the abutting ends of the rails, being on a line passing between the ends of the rails. i chiefly supported, as described, by the bar l).

The holes d are in either case couuv IOO The lower bearing side of the bar D, as before stated, is shaped to conform to the curvature of the ogee rail-iiange upon which it is seated, the lower inner longitudinal portion, di, of the bar extending down to a point some distance below the level of the upper outer edge, of the rail-flange, while the extreme lower outer edge of the bar curves down over the rounded exterior upper' edge of the raililange, rlhe inner bearing side is curved to iit the contour of the side of the rail and rests upon its upper surface. Heretofore joint plates or bars have been constructed having a Hat lower bearing side, and Were Secured against the tramways of the meeting ends of the rails by means of bolts passing horizon tally through the bar and the tramway; but this form of bar is objectionable for the reason that when the tread of the wheel strikes against the flat top of such bar (which usually extends above the level of the tramway) it has a tendency to force the bar out from the side of the rail, away from the tramway, thus allowing the wheel to strike upon the ends of the rail and rendering the bar useless, except as a iish-plate- It will be seen that by curving the lower and inner bearing sides in the manner shown and described, the inclined tread of the wheel bearing upon the inclined upper face of the bar D will tend to force the bar down more iirinly upon its seat on the railiiange, the point of resistance falling at R, the lower inner longitudinal portion, d2, being thus firmly locked against the inner face of the upper outer longitudinal portion, a2, of the ogee rail-ilange.

The ends D D of the joint plate or bar are beveled and rounded in the manner shown, so that when acar has been derailed through any cause it can be readily andY rapidly restored to the track, the flange of the wheels passingv smoothly and easily up the tapering end of the bar and over the head or top of the same onto the rail proper, the car being'thus rcstored to its normal position without any of the rough strain and jars which wouldotherwise occur if the wheels were pulled or lifted directly over the rail itself into their proper position.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my cont bined joint plate or bar and car-replacer will be readily understood without requiring further explanation.

Having thus described my invention, l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States l. A combinedV splice-bar and ear-replacer having its lower bearing side curved to conform to the curvature of the flange of a streetrailway rail having somewhat of an ogee flange, and having a head extending parallel and in the same plane with the top of the rail and resting4 upon the 'flange thereof, as set forth.

2. A combined joint plate or bar and carreplacer having its lower bearing side curved to conform to the curvature of the flange of a street-railway rail having somewhat of an ogee flange, and having a head extending parallel and in the same plane with the top of the rail and bearing upon the lower flange there of, and its ends beveled and rounded, for the purpose specified. .v

3. A combined joint plate or bar and carrcplacer having its inner bearing side curved to fit the contour of the side of the rail and resting upon its upper surface, its lower side resting on the lower flange and bearing against the upper projecting i'lange portion of the rail, by means of which, when t-he car-wheel strikes the bearing of the splice-piece, its weight is transferred and supported against the lower bearing formed on the liange ofthe rail, whereby the joint plate or bar is prevented from yielding to the weight of the car and the wheel, substantially as set forth.

In4 testimonyrthat I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IIAR'DIN ll. LlTTlLli.

Vitynesses:

D. G. BLY, C. G. Havnon. 

